Kingsmen: Legends of Lucis
by A.D. Williams
Summary: Ignis doesn't attribute his success of holding one of the twelve coveted Kingsmen spots to luck, but to skill. With one eye focused on his domestic duties and the other watching over a prince that seems hellbent on self-destruction, he skillfully balances his roles of adviser and assassin. ON HIATUS
1. The Infamous Ice Cream Incident

This is, of course, all for shits and giggles :) After recently rewatching the first _Kingsmen_ (but yet to see the second, as of writing this), I knew I absolutely had to do a story with Ignis for it. Add in the irony that he literally is a kingsman and my muse spared me "no quarter" to write this. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **The Infamous Ice Cream Incident of Insomnia**

It all started with...

"Hey, Ignis, let's go get some ice cream! There's this place downtown that just released this new flavor that I'm curious to try," Noctis suggested, lifting himself from his stomach from where he had been lying on the couch. "It's only going to be available for a limited time so I wanna get some while I can."

Ignis looked around the barely twenty year-old prince's apartment, taking in everything that needed to be done and sighed. "I'm admittedly rather busy, Noct. Unless _you're_ going to clean the house…"

Noctis paled. "I…think I'll leave that to you."

 _But of course._ "Then I'd like to take care of everything now while I'm here. I have my own home to also keep up, you know." He returned to drying the dishes, expecting the conversation to be closed, but Noctis got up and came to sit at the bar on the other side of the counter.

"You work too hard, Ignis, take a break! Come on, the place I want to go to has sea salt ice cream, just like from Kingdom Hearts! Even you had to admit you liked that game. We'll go eat some and it'll be just like Roxas, Xion and Axel. Though we don't have a firecrotch…"

" _Language,_ Noct _._ And am I to assume that I would be the blond Roxas and you the raven Xion?" Ignis added with a smirk.

Without a pause, Noctis confirmed, "Xion wishes she could look as good as me. Now let's go already! The place will probably be packed and I don't want to have to use my position to get a seat. But…I will if it comes down to it," he added seriously. "Sea salt ice cream is a matter of life or death!"

 _Yes, your life or death,_ Ignis resigned himself, knowing what going out would mean. Drying his hands, he went to the spare bedroom in the apartment and changed clothes. He slipped on his usual attire reserved for when at the citadel, comprising of black slacks, his favorite silk patterned shirt and a suit jacket. He checked his shoes—oxford, not brogues—to ensure they were presentable before slipping them on. With a quick peek in the mirror to ensure his hair was equally fashionable, he met Noctis in the entrance hallway.

As the door closed behind them, Ignis Scientia donned his alternate role, the Kingsmen spy codenamed: Tristan.

~.~.~

They'd barely sat down outside with their ice cream before Ignis noticed two suspects sitting at the back at tables twelve and thirteen. For Noctis' part, he was busy eating and bragging on the phone to Prompto, whose lamentations of jealousy could be heard clearly from where Ignis sat. He would've told the prince to take more care into assessing his surroundings, but that was his job. And right now, the two from the back were eyeing His Highness with the focus of a Zu going in for a kill. One of the men was beginning to reach into his suit jacket…

"Need to use the loo, be back, Noct," he muttered and slipped out his seat.

"Uh-huh…Hey, Prompto, my ice cream came with a Winner stick! And I'm going to give it to…Gladio!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" was the last thing Ignis heard from their table.

At the same time he reached the tables at the back, the two men were beginning to stand. To the one pulling a gun out his pocket, Ignis snatched it with the strike of a viper and twisted. There was a muted crack and he put a hand over the man's mouth to keep him quiet. Ignis gave an apologetic smile to the staff that saw the man suddenly bend over in pain. "My friend had too much ice cream. Kingdom Hearts fans, am I right?" They nodded with thorough understanding.

However, with his hands busy with the first man, he was too late to stop the second from approaching Noctis' table. When the staff had resumed their work, he quickly stabbed a pen into the first man's neck, dealing a powerful sleeping potion. After carefully helping him to sit back down, he strode quickly between the tables to reach the second assassin but—too late.

The man put a hand on Noctis' shoulder. The prince looked up, thoroughly confused and definitely affronted at being touched so candidly.

Ignis pulled another ballpoint pen out his pocket and hoped his aim was true…

And then the man suddenly jerked, stumbling away with a hand pressed to his chest. Bypassing Noctis, Ignis quickly grabbed him and led him inside to the men's bathroom. It was thankfully empty so he dragged him to the last stall and locked the both of them in. He easily found what had hit the man, a tiny bullet that also released a sleeping agent. This could only be…

He easily scrambled up the bathroom stall and headed back outside to the dining area. Noctis had gone back to talking on the phone and Prompto could still be heard complaining but Ignis focused his gaze on the building across from the café, about four stories up. There, he saw the barrel of a gun poking out a window and just the faintest hint of blonde hair not altogether tucked under a black beanie. In his own ear, a crackle sounded and Prompto's voice reached him. "You owe me one, Tristan."

"I had it, _Percival,_ I didn't need your interference," Ignis snapped under his breath. He sat back down at the table with a pleasant smile to the prince. Noctis wasn't paying attention.

"All in all, Prom, this place is pretty sweet. Pun intended," he was saying, chewing on his WINNER stick.

"Damn, I sure wish I could be there," Prompto said, his voice in both Noct's and Ignis' ears. Only Ignis caught the barely perceptible taunt.

"I do believe I'm rather ready to go, Noct, if that's alright," he said stiffly, placing some bills on the table and getting up. "They'll be selling this flavor in stores shortly, you can get more then."

Noctis also got up, licking a paper napkin to dab around his mouth. As he followed his advisor back to the car, he informed him, "It's not the same when it comes out a carton. The nostalgia just isn't there anymore. Nobody loves sea salt ice cream because they think it's the greatest flavor ever—that title goes to pecan pralines n' crème and I'll fight anyone who disagrees—but they love it for how it's presented and the memories it stirs up. That's what we just created here, Ignis: a memory."

"Yes, and unlike many of the game's characters, it's one I'm sure I won't forget," Ignis added with just the tiniest sprinkle of bitterness. From the car, he looked up at the building across from them once more but now, the window was empty.

Back on the table, Noctis had abandoned the Winner stick.

* * *

Try saying that title three times fast :)

Also much nostalgia abound in this chapter. Forgive me to those who've never played a KH game. At the time of writing this chapter, KH3 SHOULD be on the horizon but...they've been saying that for the same amount of time it took them to come out with Final Fantasy Versus-I mean, FFXV :)


	2. Two's a Party, Three's a Crowd

It's always hard for me to write the first chapter of any story but I usually do better by chapter two. I penned this one in a single night but I was also in higher spirits. Hopefully this one does well to bring on more of the comedy and is about the length of what can be expected for the next chapters. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Two's a Party, Three's a Crowd**

"So, Prompto tells me you had a nasty run-in with some covert Nif supporters," Gladio whispered in the Glaives' locker room to Ignis, buttoning up his jacket. While the latter was usually saddled with taking care of Noctis, when not training others, Gladio donned his uniform and patrolled the streets the same as the rest of the Glaives. He and Ignis were alone, but Ignis still felt his voice echoed much too loudly.

"Quiet down I don't want the King to know about that," he warned, shifting his gaze around to ensure they had privacy. "And I told him _I had it!_ Prompto doesn't know how to mind his own damn business."

"That ain't the way he told it," Gladio snorted, smiling wider when his friend went completely red. "He said the guy even managed to put a hand on Noct." His smile faded and he looked up with serious eyes. "This ain't a time for pride, Ig. That was seriously close. Just cause' Noctis can defend himself doesn't mean he should have to. That's our job. I of course don't need to tell you that." He reigned himself back in, seeing the look of pure shame replace the embarrassment on Ignis. "If you want, I don't mind looking after Sleeping Beauty," he said lightly. "Can't be that hard—"

"Can you cook?" Ignis sniped back.

"Uh…I mean…there's Cup Noodle—"

"Can you clean?"

"Hey, what's that gotta do with—"

"Do you like reading bedtime stories to grown men?"

"Wait, he still needs a story to go to sleep?!"

"If you can't do any of that," Ignis ignored the indignation, "Then no, you can't look after Noct. I had a slip-up while we were out. I assure you it won't happen again." He pushed his glasses up with a huff of contempt and made to leave, before turning back around, as Gladio was wholly expecting. Ignis was one of those types that always had to leave with the last word, plus ultra. "And tell Prompto that loose lips sink ships and he would do well not to tell my business to anyone else! Wait… _does_ anyone else know?"

"…I mean, Galahad was close by but I doubt he heard anything," Gladio mumbled but he could see Ignis' nostrils flaring."

Finally taking his leave, the room shook with his final declaration: "I SWEAR I'm going to dye that boy's hair blue in his sleep!"

"Knowing Prom, he'd probably like that," Gladio shook his head. Finally dressed, he checked to ensure he had a full battery on both his phone and music player before heading out. Today, he had to guard the Wall, having been picked in the Glaive lottery for the most boring of their jobs. He tried to remind himself that "boring is best" but he couldn't help wishing for even a tiny event to happen. Like a Nif ship crashing into the barrier. That'd be fun.

~.~.~

From the Glaive locker room, Ignis made his way to the upper floors, where Noctis had said he was going to be. The prince wanted to transport more of his immense wardrobe to his apartment; even after four years, he was still constantly dragging things from here to there. Ignis was quietly waiting for King Regis to realize his plan for his son to develop independence was an utter failure and to call his son back to the Citadel.

Oh, how he longed for that day.

Instantly, he felt ashamed for these unkind thoughts. As though to try to run away from them, he slapped the button for the elevator rather harshly, willing it to descend faster with his eyes so that he could duck inside.

Just as it was reaching his floor though, there was a brush of air behind him and then Cor was standing at his side. Barely stifling a yelp, Ignis moved away, but Cor grabbed his arm to prevent his escape and to hinder any attack. Preoccupied with other thoughts, he'd forgotten about the legendary Dark Shadow, Cor Leonis. If he ever took a turn at acting, he'd be a shoe-in as Bruce Wayne.

"I've got an assignment for you," the older man said with no apology for nearly giving Ignis a heart attack. "The prince is going to Altissa to discuss opening a waterway trading route with Accordo and I need you and one other to protect him on the trip. Think you can handle that?"

"Naturally," Ignis assured, regaining himself by lightly removing his arm from the hold. "Who's the other person though?"

"Galahad. You don't mind that, do you? Of course you don't mind, he's one of us," Cor decided for him, giving a proud tilt of the head at the word "us".

Ignis had been partially trained by Galahad, so of course he didn't hate him. The idea of having to go on a roadtrip with him though was almost crossing the line. But one must not show weakness, especially in front of their superiors and to make up for earlier, he gave a slight bow to Cor. "This mission is as good as done."

"I sure hope so. When you've collected His Highness, meet him in the Citadel garage. He had an assignment that required using the prince's car and should be returning soon." Cor strode silently away and with as little as a blink, he was out of sight.

Turning away from their mysterious and certainly worthy leader, "Arthur," Ignis realized the elevator had gone back to the top, fifty floors away. Not caring if he wasn't alone, he gave a muffled scream into his hands.

~.~.~

Getting clothes had turned out to be Noctis' ruse for simply wanting to come home and hopefully see his father. As Regis was not expecting him though, his schedule had not been cleared and thus the two never even laid eyes on each other. Walking with him down the corridor to the garage, Ignis could see him trying to put on a brave face but even he knew how important it was to the prince to see his father before he left. Taking privilege as his oldest friend, he gave the young man a light rub on the back and was rewarded with a heavy but resigned sigh.

Entering the cavernous garage, Ignis held up the key fob and pressed the unlock button. To their right, the Regalia flashed and beeped its location, parked in a spot that had a sign with no words but only the picture of a crown. Very subtle but effective.

The two headed towards it, but just as Ignis was about to get in, he was nearly run over by another car swerving into a spot right next to the King's, bass rattling the windows. Ignis easily recognized the car and, yep, easily recognized the asshole driving it, too. Hopping out, the other man pulled a small suitcase from the passenger side of the car and sauntered over to the Regalia, giving a light pound to its backend. "Yo, pop the trunk, _Eggsy_! Let's get this show on the road!"

 _Astrals, please give me strength._ Ignis did as requested and the man was hidden from view as he put his suitcase in with theirs. Once done, he slid into the passenger's seat as Noctis was content in the back. "Good day, Eggsy and Your Highness. We all set to see Altissa? Have either of you ever been there?"

"Noct and I both have," Ignis said as he reversed out the spot, not hiding just a smidgen of superiority.

Coming out of his gloom, Noctis added, "There's this pastry I really want to have while we're there. Ignis can't seem to get it right so I'm just going to return to the source."

Noctis said this with humor, but Ignis would never let him know how much that hurt.

"I need some music; you guys like music?" The other man asked, yet he reached out and switched on the radio anyways. Then, with his seatbelt off though they were driving, he turned around and opened the cooler in the middle console…and removed an Ebony.

Oh, no he didn't.

Ignis slammed to a halt, nearly throwing the man through the windshield and break-checking the person behind them. The other car sped off around him with many honks and curses but Ignis didn't care. He snatched the can of coffee back and finally let loose. "You can touch the radio. You can even continue to muck up my name. But I declare, I draw the line at taking my Ebony!" As though to prove his point, he ripped the top off and chugged the entire tall can, gave a very un-Iggy belch, and tossed the remains out the side of the open vehicle. His body gave an involuntary twitch as they drove forward again.

Noticing it, the other man asked, "Hey, you sure you're good to drive? You're already starting to tweak…"

"I'm fine! Just shut up and buckle up, Ga—Nyx," Ignis caught himself just in time.

Nyx Ulric, "Galahad" the Galadian, gave a shrug of cool nonchalance. "Alright, but just remember that I'm wielding direct powers from the King, not baby Simba back there. Should something happen, it's probably going to be me saving both your assess."

Ignis gripped the steering wheel tight. "Then let's be certain it doesn't come to that."

~.~.~

Gladio was in the midst of invading one of Prompto's fortresses in King's Knight: A New Empire, when he heard a car squeal to a stop at the gate. Leaving his virtual soldiers to do what they did best and imagining the cries of the blond from somewhere in the depths of Insomnia, he opened the guard booth to be surprised at the sight of the Regalia. However, he took one look at Ignis' clenched jaw, Nyx's blasé slouch, and Noct's…well, Noctis was of course asleep; but he took in all of this and decided not to ask what happened.

Ignis stiffly passed over the vehicle's papers and everyone's passports and Gladio quietly stamped them with approval. He handed them back and Ignis gave a tense nod before resuming his leadfoot on the gas.

He watched them as they sped away for a moment before going back to his phone. Closing the game, he pulled up his contacts and dialed. "Yo, Prom, you ain't gonna guess who just came through here."

"Fuck that, you raided me! Choke on your great sword and die!" Prompto hung up.

Pulling back up the game, he saw the "Congratulations on your defeat of Percival, Sir Lamorak!" banner at the top of the screen, praising him on his victory. Already his people were hard at work building a new castle in his name. With nothing else to do, he obliged the tiny people by watching their honorable progress as they tore away all that belonged to Prompto.

* * *

What was that bragging you were doing earlier, Prom? ;)

I also happen to really like Nyx and figured now was the perfect time to write him in. Once I found out his home country was named after one of the Knights, it was a done deal.

The next chapter _might_ be out this weekend. I'm having more fun with this and I don't want to lose steam.


	3. Nautical Nonsense

So, I shamefully only realized upon another half re-watch of the first movie that the name of it is _Kings_ man, not _Kings_ men. I could change it to emphasize the focus being on Ignis but…this story wouldn't be half as interesting without the others so I think I'll keep it plural. I just figured I'd call myself out on that, lol. Anyways, this chapter is longer as I wanted to set it up for events in the next chapter. I also pose some food for thought at the bottom but I ask that you make your way through the main course first ;)

* * *

 **If Nautical Nonsense Be Something You Wish…**

Surprisingly enough, the trip from Insomnia to Cape Caem went without any significant issues. There was a bit of a fight when Noctis learned that they were not going to make a detour to go to the Assassin Festival in Lestallum, but Ignis managed to quell the prince's literal temper tantrum by promising they'd stop by on the way back. However, when he also pointed out that he'd be going without Prompto or Gladio, he finally resigned completely. It'd be no fun without all of his friends there. At the crestfallen look on his young face, Ignis took pity and pulled over for ice cream. Ignis got a modest cone of vanilla while the prince got a triple-scoop cone of various flavors. Nyx one-upped him by getting a quadruple.

They made it to the tiny seaside town in two days and boarded the large speedboat the King secretly kept docked there, simply titled _Sea Biscuit._ The trip to the new country would only take a few hours and had no obstacles to navigate around once past Angelgard. Ignis set the controls to continue bearing in the right direction and took a breather on one of the soft white couches that were tacked to the deck. He'd just sat down when Nyx quickly took a seat next to him, pulling a stopper out of a vintage bottle of whiskey.

The older Glaive opened his mouth but first took a look around to ensure they were alone. Noctis was too busy entertaining himself by standing on the bow and singing _My Heart Will Go On_ into the wind and giggling when they hit a particularly high wave that caused him to miss a note. Both of them let out enigmatic sighs as they watched him. However, Ignis already knew why Nyx was sitting there and figured he might as well get it over with. "I suppose you're here to chastise me as well for what happened in Insomnia."

Nyx lifted the decanter to his lips but Ignis quickly snatched it away, getting up and finding him a glass near the cockpit. He poured the man a single shot and held protectively to the rest as he sat back down. Nyx swallowed it in a gulp, grimacing hard. "Revolting…but yes, I'm here to give you my two cents as well. Geez, Ig, who all knows about this?" As Ignis thought about the question, Nyx took the bottle and poured himself some more.

"Only Prompto and Gladiolus, as far as I'm aware of. I swear on the gods, I had it! I would never let harm come to Noct." They both looked back over at the prince, who was having a nostalgic moment with rapping to himself the Lonely Island's _I'm on a Boat_. Neither commented on his sudden turn to the musical arts. "I've known Noct since I was six. He's like a little brother to me, if I may be so bold. If anything were to happen to him, I would never forgive myself." He looked down at his empty hands, blinking hard.

Nyx reached over with a hand and patted him a few times on the back. "Hey, alright, we get it. You had a close call, it happens to the best of us. I mean, not me—"

Ignis gave him a withering glare.

"—But perfection can't be expected from everyone," Nyx said without a single hint of condescension. "Just…try to keep it to a minimum, okay? You know how Cor is; if one of us fucks up, he chews out that person and the one that nominated them. And since I was the one who nominated you, that axe falls on me. So, no more close calls, alright?"

Reminded of that, Ignis fully turned to him and asked, "Just why _did_ you nominate me? It's no secret that I can barely stand you." No more ignoring that elephant in the room.

"You said it yourself. You love that kid like a brother. You'd do anything to protect him. There's no better person to be a Kingsman than you," Nyx said casually, sipping his third glass.

Ignis felt touched and hid it by looking out to the ocean. Nyx had certainly pushed the Glaives in training hard but he'd always been especially harsh towards him. At the time, he'd figured it was just another jock pushing around the intellectual but he had to grudgingly admit that Nyx had the respect of his peers to back up his boasting.

Two years ago, he'd been baffled when he'd opened his locker one day in the changing room to find a hidden gold envelope offering him the chance to become a Kingsman. As a testament to its secrecy, not only was it invitation only, but there weren't even any rumors of the organization amongst any of the soldiers. You either made it, or you (and your next of kin…) quietly disappeared.

It wasn't until after he alone was left remaining from his competitors that Nyx had come forth as the one who'd submitted his name. At the time when Ignis had asked him why he'd done it, he'd simply said, "I knew you had the right stuff."

And to now hear the full truth…Ignis would have to rethink his feelings on the man.

"Aw, damn, you're about to cry, aren't you?" Nyx groaned, starting to inch away. "C'mon, man, don't make this shit gay. Just accept the compliment and move on."

Never mind, he was and always would be an asshole, Ignis doubled-down.

A little damp and very wind-blown, Noctis finally extracted himself from the bow and made his way over to the couches with them. Just as he was about to lie down on an empty one, the pillow closest to him exploded and snowed a flurry of white feathers. "Um, guys—?"

"Down, Noct!" Ignis yelled and slammed the prince to the floor. No sooner had he than he felt multiple bullets fire directly where they'd been standing. When the barrage stopped, he peeked up and saw that Nyx had one hand up casting the shield spell Shell with the other slipping one of his knives from behind him. He threw it and his body was instantly gone, leaving only bright sparks, the trademark sign of one warp-striking with the King's powers. Having only Noctis' powers, Ignis wasn't afforded that skill.

With the lull in the bullets, he rose just high enough to peek over the back of the couch. "Get below the deck, Noct. Nyx and I will handle this." He materialized a polearm and was about to make his way over to the railing but Noctis grabbed his jacket.

"Someone needs to steer the boat though," the prince pointed out. "And I can warp…unlike you," he said softly with a blush. He never quite understood why he and the Glaives could warp-strike but his closest friends couldn't. The only thing he could think of was it had something to do with himself. Borrowing power from him instead of his father made his friends more in-tune with him but it seemed they had limited abilities unlike the full military.

Ignis too flushed a little but covered it quickly. "Alright then, I'll steer. I see a total of four boats of equal or smaller size to this one. Nyx already went to the left so handle the ones on the right. On the count of three…THREE!"

Noctis disappeared in a bluish haze and Ignis made for the controls. Shutting the cockpit door, he took the ship off of autopilot and whipped it to the side. The sudden shift created a large wave, churning the other boats and even caused two to crash into each other. He held his breath as he saw the explosion go up, but then—there! A blue streak flew to another one of the ships like a shooting star and Ignis felt himself almost go weak with relief. Good, that only left two more. This would be wrapped up quickly.

At least that was the plan, until a massive warship materialized on the horizon.

Ignis considered his options. He could wait for Nyx and Noctis to return, then zoom out of there…but then it'd follow. It was slower, but it had the advantage of reach with its weapons. It'd be a massive gamble to zig and zag in the water and hope it didn't shoot them. If it did, they were done.

Or…he could face it head on. The cannons on the side wouldn't reach them if they pulled up next to the boat. Though the ship was large, it probably wasn't staffed with many humans. Niflheim had a shortage of human soldiers, both their greatest strength and weakness. Ignis figured if he could get down to the engine room, he could rework the wiring and disable the ship. The trip to Accordo was too important to turn back now; they'd have to risk it.

To the right, the two smaller ships also crashed into one another, decapitated MT's being the only passengers. Warping back, Nyx and Noctis entered the cockpit with him, cheering and high-fiving. "That was pretty badass! Did you see me, Specs?" The line sounded like it should've come from Noctis and he was about to reward it with a smile to the prince until he realized he wasn't the one who had spoken. Giving a cough, Ignis shrugged. "I mean, it was alright. However, we have another matter to attend to."

He flipped the boat around and raced towards the other ship and his passengers gasped. "Ig, are you crazy?! What the hell are we going to do against that?" Noctis protested, his hands up as though he wanted to rip the wheel from him.

"If we run, they'll follow us, either back to Lucis or on to Accordo. If they're left to follow us, they'll send reinforcements. It's best to take care of this big problem now before it becomes insurmountable." As he continued to race towards it, he saw a line of cannons raise up. "Brace yourselves!"

Several cracks shook the air and Ignis felt his stomach drop when he saw that the accuracy was perfect. There was a moment of silence and he realized that should he make it out alive, the king was going to have his head for the death of his beloved _Sea Biscuit_.

By instinct of self-preservation though, he jerked the wheel, letting the iron hit the water like massive raindrops. He kept heading toward the ship, zig-zagging between the barrages until he drew up close to the ship and under the cannons. They'd need to work fast to avoid the ship turning and crushing their smaller boat.

"Noct, do you think you could warp me up to the top? From there, I can handle myself," Ignis assured him, turning to him with his weapon.

Nyx though guffawed at him. "You, up there in tight quarters with no land to maneuver around on? Nah, I'm not letting you die on my watch." He grabbed Ignis' hand, his own already glowing red.

Ignis couldn't move away since he was trapped in the enclosed space and so he could only bear whatever torture Nyx had unleashed on him. It certainly hurt, that was sure, but…it was a familiar pain. Like stubbing your toe or banging your shin on a table. He'd felt this pain before…it was the same he'd felt when Noctis had first shared his powers with him. Now it was Nyx who was sharing his. Or, more accurately, he was sharing the King's.

"Did you not _know_ you were supposed to get your powers from the King when you became a—" he stopped abruptly, glancing at Noctis. "I don't know why the King won't let us just tell him…" He muttered low under his breath and the prince blinked at him curiously. Drawing closer to Ignis, he whispered, "We're you-know-what's for a reason. We—"

"Protect both the King _and_ the future kings of Lucis," said Ignis, challenging the other with his eyes to contest him. "And there's a reason I didn't get my powers from King Regis. The same goes for Gladio and Prompto as well. The power of the Crystal is not infinite. The King has already drawn more than any of his predecessors so that he can keep the Wall up and share it with the Glaives. The cost of drawing from the Crystal…is the King's lifesource. The more we take from him, the more we take from his life. Maybe it's foolish, but this family has already given me so much. I couldn't dare ask for anything else."

When Noctis bit his lip, he felt sorry that he'd had to say all of this in front of him.

The room was quiet for a long moment until Nyx finally nodded slowly. "Okay. When you put it that way, it makes sense. Well, you don't have to worry this time. I'm letting you borrow the powers from me, but it's a _loan_. Once we're back from Altissia, I want 'em back. Now, watch closely 'cause I'm only showing this to you once."

Flipping up his Glaive hood and pulling down a silver mask adorned with a single horn, he took both of his kukris out of their sheaths and stepped out to the deck. He scanned the large ship for a moment until his eyes found where he wanted to go. He threw the blade hard but it didn't pierce anything, only tumbling wildly into the air. Still, Nyx vanished from the spot, the purple streamers adorning his clothes being the last thing seen. He reappeared less than a second later, twenty feet in the air and holding the knife. He threw it again and gained another twenty feet. He continued this until he reached the deck far above them and not long after, they could hear a battle break out.

Noctis turned to Ignis and gave him a brave smile. "I'm flying up by using the Armiger. Are you going to be okay?"

It's what Ignis wanted to ask him and his rueful smile must've conveyed it, for the prince smiled a little wider back. "I'll be fine. Go up there and warm them up for me, will you?"

"Aye ye, capitán," Noct saluted. With a bright pulse of light, the weapons of his ancestors surrounded him and he floated up. Soon, his battle cheers could be heard above as he flitted between his enemies.

Putting away his polearm, Ignis withdrew his daggers. It'd been Nyx who'd recommended he learn how to use them instead of keeping to just a single weapon, though ironically, it seemed that aside from magic, the latter was content with only his own blades as company. Not allowing any time to doubt himself, he flung a dagger into the air and waited.

A second later, he vanished.

* * *

Noctis' crew not having a warp-strike has always bothered me. At the time this chapter is being uploaded, the Comrades online feature is only days away from going public but I played the beta. In it, we see that the created characters have Shell (the shield made of hexagons) and can warp strike but never are these talents given to the chocobros. Not just that, but if the Glaives did get their powers from Regis but Regis died, how the hell can any of the powers still be used? Ignis, Prompto and Gladio should be the only ones if they got their powers from Noctis. We even see how Regis' death screws over Nyx, with him having to condescendingly borrow powers from the Kings with the Ring in order to prevail in his final battle. It feels like another unfortunate plot hole left in the game…

And so, I felt it was time Ignis got his wings. Fly high, you magnificent bastard.


	4. Flop Like a Fish!

Excuse the delay…work has me in and out at all sorts of hours so it can be hard to find time to write now. Although…I _have_ been plopped in front of Comrades a lot too, lol. We got our answer to the end of last chapter as well! However, I'll discuss that more below if you care to read my thoughts on the matter. Until then, enjoy this!

* * *

… **Then Hop on the Deck, and Flop Like a Fish!**

Nyx wasn't getting his powers back. Screw him. As Ignis rose, he felt _invincible_. As he climbed with the daggers, he overshot the ship's rail by fifteen feet but it worked to his advantage. The Magiteks weren't expecting it and so with the seconds it took for them to re-aim, he swapped to his lance and threw it right through the forehead of the closest robot. It sparked out as it glitched and then fell heavily to its knees. Finally landing, Ignis put a foot on its shoulder and pulled the blade out, giving a satisfactory twirl. "Who's next?"

They came at him at once. The Assassin MT's moved incredibly fast with their swords, their arms wind-milling in a blur that would've instantly shredded a normal person. Without the warp-strike, Ignis too would've had difficulty with them. However, now it was easy to throw his spear and capture a line of them right through the middle. With a hard swing towards the ocean, the bots few off, bursting into shrapnel and bolts as they hit the water.

With his area cleared, he ran to an open door which led to a deep stairwell that traversed the entire depth of the ship. The walls were already marked with the signs of Lucian magic and he could hear Noctis and Nyx battling it out several floors down. He threw his polearm directly down the center and quickly snapped his hand to his glasses as he was pulled along with his weapon. As he whipped by the floors, he saw Nyx chuck a Firaga, combusting a group of MT's. Catching sight of Ignis as he went by, he called out, "Don't get comfortable!"

Well, it was too late for that. He blinked though and realized something. Nyx went in first. He should've been ahead of Noctis. So where was…

He saw Noctis on the landing for the seventh floor though as he fell, he suddenly saw him again on the sixth and then the fifth. Noctis fought by randomly snatching one of his armiger weapons out the air and diving in, quickly sweeping a sword on some floors and sometimes firing a barrage of crossbow arrows on another. Either way, the landing of each staircase was mostly cleared in seconds by the time he went to the next. What remained then would be handled by Nyx. Noctis gave a thumbs-up to his chamberlain to show that he was doing just fine and feeling assured, Ignis continued his descent.

He hit the floor with a force that he feared would break his bones, but surprisingly, he absorbed the impact well. He pulled the lance that had preceded him out the metal floor and quickly looked around. It was hot enough to make the Infernian feel right at home down here; it had to be the engine room. He ran further in, not sure what he was looking for…until he heard the familiar clank of MTs walking. Ducking down behind a wall of machinery, he peeked around and noticed that a rather large and obviously conspicuous hoard had gathered in front of a row of pistons. Ahh, so the Nifs had thought ahead to protect the main functions of the ship. There were too many for him to plow right through so he'd need to lure some away and take them out quietly. This was perfectly fine, though: as a Kingsmen, espionage was his middle name.

He pulled from his breast pocket a whistle that would only be heard by the keenest of ears and was just about to blow when he heard from several floors up, "Ignis, don't you even _think_ you're going to beat my kill count!"

Aw, fuck.

Nyx warp-struck hard into the ground and unlike his own, this one reverberated all through the walls. Being nimble and quiet was what Ignis did best but as a field soldier, Nyx had rarely had to exercise the same caution. Still…had his Kingsmen training taught him nothing?

 _Don't ask stupid questions, Ignis_ , he reproached himself. A second later, he heard another thud and Noctis asked, "What'd I miss?" At the sound of the first arrival though, the MT's had run towards their location and now they were staring down a group of no less than fifty. "Oh. Aw, fuck."

 _Indeed._ Stepping out from his hiding spot, Ignis blocked the MT's retreat. Snapping out his polearm, he called out, "I'll take you up on your challenge, Nyx. The one who loses pays the inevitable tab at the Maagho."

"The wha?" Nyx called out.

Ignis forgot he'd never been to Altissia. "It's a pub belonging to an old friend of the king's," he clarified.

"…Can I join in?" Noctis' apprehensive voice drifted to him. "I mean, I'm twenty now—"

"Drinking age in Altissia is twenty-one," Ignis stopped him.

"SERIOUSLY?! Are they _trying_ to play with my emotions?"

"Simmer down, Simba," Nyx consoled him, raising a hand filled with Thundaga. "We're still in Lucian waters and your dad has a nice cache of wines on the boat—"

"Diplomatic business first!" Ignis corrected him, snapping his gloves into place. "We will not have the prince of Lucis embarrassing us by arriving to his meeting with the first secretary drunk. Now, are we doing this or not?"

"Oh, we're doin' it!" Nyx returned to task and let loose the palm of lightning.

Both Ignis and Noctis immediately screamed out, falling to the floor, along with most of the MT's.

Nyx watched them in horror before rushing first to Noct's side. "You've _got_ to be kidding me! Neither of you have on a Ring of Resistance? You're supposed to wear it at all times!"

"W-who uses l-lightning on a sh-ship made of metal?!" Ignis stammered while trying to get back up. His legs shook harder than a newborn lamb's though and it was all he could do to get to just his knees.

"You didn't answer my question!" Nyx deflected, shaking Noctis. He let out a tense breath when the prince finally opened his eyes, though tiny electrical currents were still running through his hair.

Ignis finally got up and angrily used Firaga to clear the final remaining MT's who had initially only been stunned by the attack. "I'm already wearing bangles to increase my agility and strength. You know too many accessories causes adverse reactions. I figured it was common sense to not use lightning here, but had I known I was going to be made to suffer fools gladly, I certainly would've worn mine!"

He stalked over to Noctis and pulled him up. "You're not that hurt, Your Highness, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop dawdling."

Indeed, while Noctis' clothes were singed, he stood rather easily. Having a natural affiliation with the Crystal had lessened the damage to him. However, he still pulled out a compact mirror and examined himself. "My hair looks awesome! I think I'm going to create a line of hair accessories that mimic electrical waves, that way people can wear styles like this. What'cha think, Specs?"

"Don't quit your day job," both Nyx and Ignis replied. The prince was crestfallen.

Going back into the engine room, Ignis stood before the row of massive pistons as they chugged in circles. He flitted between methods of sabotage before equally settling on Thundaga. This time, he pulled off a silver bracelet and put it in his pocket, drawing out a silver ring instead. He slipped it on his wedding finger (something he also did when not wanting to be hit on when out guarding Noctis) and called over his shoulder, "I suggest you put yours on as well, Noct."

Once he was assured that Noctis was also wearing his, he tossed the sphere of magic in the air and ran. The explosion ended up being bigger than he estimated and only by his newfound warp-strike did he make it safely away, however, there was now a new problem. The ground floor instantly began to take on water at an alarming rate. Heavy water…with electricity. "Everyone back up to the deck!" he commanded. He waited for the other two to warp away first before following them back up the spiraling staircase.

Once at the top, they ran to the rail and looked below. Without having been anchored, the _Sea Biscuit_ had drifted away, though thankfully it had moved further behind the ship where no canon fire could reach it. The warship was unattended now anyways. Grateful again for the loaned powers, he warped to the king's boat, just seconds behind the other two. He instantly went to the wheel and flipped the craft around, gunning it in the direction of Altissia.

As they moved away, they could see the ship in the distance as it began to sink, a long funnel of smoke rising from the water. Noctis cheered at their victory but Ignis noticed that Nyx had become oddly silent. "A gil for your thoughts?" he asked him.

Nyx opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, and then cast a discreet look at Noctis. Still cheering, the prince made his way below deck (likely to get the aforementioned wine), leaving the other two alone. "That ship alone had more artillery than all of Lucis. We should've kept it and used it back on the Nifs. We've been on defense only with them for years. We're never going to win like this if we don't have a way to strike offensively. And we damn sure ain't getting Galahd back at this rate…" He suddenly clamped his mouth shut and looked away.

Ignis didn't know what to say. It'd been an unwritten agreement ages ago for Lucis, Tenebrae and Accordo to not stock an unnecessary surplus of weapons but nobody had expected the new kids on the block to not play fairly. What had previously been deemed as unnecessary was now all too in demand but it was too late. All three countries were only still standing because of Niflheim's cruel mercy. It was only a matter of time before they swung the final blow.

As he watched the ship disappear from sight behind him, Ignis wondered if it truly would've made any difference at all.

* * *

So, regarding those missing powers of the Glaives…according to a document you unlock in Comrades and a random exposition giving NPC, it would seem the Glaives can draw from the powers of the old rulers as well. With little explanation given, it seems Luna's summoning of Leviathan is what unleashed these locked powers, restoring them to the Glaives.

…But Cor is still without powers in Comrades. The NPC's and his bio in the game mention this (and are sure to still praise how awesome he is even without them). But why _not_? Did he reject receiving them again as a self-inflicted punishment for not being able to save Regis? Or have I missed something? I've yet to unlock the "true" ending as of this moment but I doubt that'll answer this question.

Okay, enough babbling within this chapter about this. Again, feel free to chime in with your reviews (oh, I'm so shameless :)


	5. Reacquainting Acquaintances

My apologizes for another delay. Again, work...and Episode Ignis. And being sick. Hello, strep throat, my old friend…I _don't_ want to talk with you again. Oh, hey, this kinda fits with the chapter title! Have at it and I'll see you guys below.

* * *

 **Reacquainting Acquaintances**

Ignis felt himself relax marginally once they pulled up to dock in Altissia. For fear of another attack, he'd stayed at the wheel of the ship the rest of the journey and his muscles were tense from the anxiety. Now that they'd arrived, he wanted a hot bath, a room serviced meal and a nap.

Those were his hopes, at least. Already standing on the dock however were several of Altissia's guards, likely alerted to their arrival after they'd shown their passports at customs. He didn't feel he was in the best state for jumping right into business, but at the same time, the sooner they got it out the way, the better. He glanced behind him to Noctis, who was about to also step down off the boat and grimaced. Messy hair, dirty and singed clothes and a slight rim of red around his eyes from drinking. He clicked his teeth and the prince turned bleary eyes toward him.

"You look like something the coeurl dragged in," he reproached, half-heartedly trying to straighten the naturally wild black hair. "If your father could see you now…"

"Yeah, well, he can't," Noctis stepped away. To his credit, he stood up straighter and tried to smooth down his shirt, but the frayed holes were still all too obvious.

Nyx descended next but paused next to Ignis. "Talk about your daddy issues," he nudged him but Ignis wasn't in the mood for his jokes. He pushed past and followed Noctis.

The row of guards gave polite bows but from the back, another figure stepped up, clearly announcing herself as the leader. "Hey, Your Highness! You're looking particularly…okay, you look like shit, what the hell happened?" She put a hand on a leather-clad hip.

"Interesting to see you here, Aranea," Ignis said quickly, cutting off Noctis' reply. "I thought Niflheim had captured your sole interest."

Her eyes flickered top to bottom as she looked at him. "Oh, don't you worry. I have many interests."

Nyx whistled quietly. Ignis stepped on his foot. "Perhaps," the Chamberlain said casually, following her as she began to lead them down a path. "But what dealings do you have in Altissia? And does Niflheim know?"

"Have you always been so damn nosy?" she said under her breath. "I was asked to come here to be—" She glanced at Noctis. At seeing he was paying rapt attention to their conversation, she hedged her words. "To be the eyes and ears of…someone. I'm not here though to sell you out so relax. I'm on your side."

They soon arrived at the exquisite hotel that Ignis was familiar with from earlier stays. As they entered, they turned quite the number of heads at their appearance. None recognized the prince, thankfully, though as security took in His Highness' haggard appearance and his youthfulness, they assessed he was only there to make trouble. Ignis quickly rushed to explain the situation to them but Nyx acted first.

"Crownsguard, comin' through!" he yelled and shoved the servicemen out the way. He was the only one that still looked relatively presentable in his Glaives ensemble (Ignis had forgotten that he too was rather battered from the "friendly fire", though he didn't look as bad as Noct). The coat was decked with the insignia of the Lucian kingdom on the back, making people quickly scurry to get out the way. However, Ignis was a little impressed when Noctis turned back to glare at Nyx to show his disapproval with his cover having been blown. It was something that'd always endeared him to the prince, how he, unlike other royalty he'd had the displeasure of dealing with (Ravus), didn't throw his status around.

While people moved, they didn't stop staring and it only got worse when Aranea followed them in. She acted as though she didn't see the gawking or likely she was used to it. When she got to the concierge desk and leaned forward, her partially covered bosom caused the receptionist to gulp and focus all his attention on keeping his eyes on hers and her eyes only. "H-how may I help you, ma'am?"

"We've got some special guests so we're gonna need the best seats in the house," she tossed a thumb at the trio. Then glancing behind her, she asked, "How many nights will you boys be here?"

"One," Ignis replied.

"Nah, after what we went through? No fewer than two," countered Nyx.

"I second Nyx," Noctis chimed in. The two grinned and high-fived like the fast friends they'd become.

"Two it is," Aranea decided and turned her back on them. It was she who paid, likely on the dime of the First Secretary. Once finished, she passed out the room keys to everyone but Ignis didn't miss when she subtly slipped a fourth one into her own pocket. "Hey, what happened to the other two that's normally with you? The beefy guard dog and the nervous puppy?" she asked. The sudden question misdirected the others' attention.

"Back in Lucis, of course," Ignis answered, stepping over to the elevators. He watched her press a button for the top floor and the group climbed aboard. "The two were tied up in other matters so for the time being we have…Nyx." He didn't look over at the massive grin that was certainly on the other's face.

"Oh, right, I barely noticed him," said Aranea, now turning to the Glaive whose smile had melted. "I feel like I might've seen you somewhere…"

Ignis cleared his throat and shuffled his feet, continuing not to make eye contact.

With a shrug, Aranea dropped the issue. "Doesn't matter. Just making conversation."

When the elevator opened, instead of there being a door-lined hallway, there was only a brief hallway and then a single door. On the outside, it looked no different than any other found at a hotel, but when Aranea swiped the card, they stepped into an entranceway that was closer to that of a house. The hotel carpet gave way to a waxed wood floor and past that were a pair of glass-paneled doors. A spotless and lavish living room lay beyond.

"This is what I'm talking about! Fit for a king!" mused Nyx. The king in question clearly wasn't one of Lucian lineage.

"Hey! Use the guest slippers when inside the suite," Aranea quickly laid down the law, snatching the Glaive's collar before he could continue inside. "I had to actually put down a deposit on this place and I'm banking on getting it back once you leave. There's more than enough rooms for everyone and if you're feeling up to it, there's a complete kitchen, too. None of that "kitchenette" crap. Though honestly, you have five-star food a call away; why would you want to cook?"

"Because Ignis makes the best food ever, hands down?" Offered Noctis

Ignis blushed so hard, rouge couldn't have done a better job.

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind picking up what Ignis throws down in the kitchen," Nyx rubbed a chin thoughtfully. This was the personal chef to the prince; the eating had to be good.

Aranea also cast the chef a considerate gaze. "True, I'm quite curious to see what Iggy's got." She never looked away from his eyes.

Despite all the praise, he figured it best to stick with his evening plans. "My apologies, but I'm rather fatigued from our travel. I think I'll let someone else do the cooking for a change." Turning away from their disappointed faces, he opened the closet door next to the main entrance and took off his shoes. From a front pouch of his luggage, he pulled his own pair of slippers out and sighed in comfort at their softness. Realizing indeed Ignis had no plans for cooking, the other two men copied him.

With the current business resolved, Aranea turned to leave. "The First Secretary will meet with you for lunch, prince. I remember one of your guys mentioning that you don't do mornings. Lunch will be at one so arrive on time. Oh and…might want to bring your A game with negotiating…you're gonna need it." With a wink to Noctis, she breezed through the door.

Ignis meant to make himself the first one to enter the quarters but Nyx had managed to beat him to it. He wasn't upset about that, except the man stood staring open-mouthed at all the splendor around him like a fool. "Toto, I don't think we're in Lucis anymore…" he said in a daze.

The strategist thought about throwing at him that he'd slept in this very suite once already but figured stooping to such a level was unnecessary. However, he did watch carefully as Noctis only went as far as the living room before making himself comfortable on a plush, red sofa. Curling up on his side, he looked to be asleep in seconds.

Likely he wasn't, but it was as good a time as any.

Without a word, he roughly slapped Nyx's arm to snap him back. When the man opened his mouth to cry out, he silenced him with a look. He glanced to Noctis and then twirled his finger around in a circle.

Nyx understood. As though the past moments had been someone else entirely, he became gravely serious and took off down one of the hallways. The suite had four bedrooms, divided on opposite sides of the floorplan. As Nyx went one way, Ignis took the other.

His route included the bedroom Noctis had stayed in last time and figuring the prince would keep to the same location for simplicity's sake, he started his hunt there. Pulling one of his ever-handy pens out, he scanned it up and down the walls, past the outlets and around the light fixture. He scoured the blankets and sheets and completely pulled the drawers out the dresser to check inside. He inspected every corner of the closet and disassembled the lamps, even checking all the bulb sockets, then shook the lamps upside down to be safe. All of this and much more was covered in a thorough twenty minutes and at the end, he came away clean.

He felt his shoulders relax a little. Noct's room checked out.

He continued the process for the other bedroom, the bathrooms on this side, and an office area. When he came back to the main area, Nyx was just finishing up his side. The two shook heads at each other but really, the best places for security breaches was in the public areas. By now, Noctis was knocked out completely on the couch, his limbs flung every which way. Seeing him made Ignis grateful for the separate rooms. On the initial road trip to Altissia, the group often had to stay in a tent when money was tight or when lodgings were too far away. The tent could fit six comfortably…unless your group consisted of Noctis Lucis Caelum, who slept across the breadth of three people.

Ideally, he would've liked to have moved him without waking him up, but Noct was a grown man (sort of…), not a child he could sling across his shoulder. He roughly shook the prince awake as he knew Noctis slept like the dead. Finally, his eyes opened and Ignis could already read the ire that lay behind them.

"Go get in the bed if you're going to sleep," Ignis fired first, pointing a finger down the hall. Of course, had Noct gone to the room at the start, he wouldn't have been able to conduct his search but the prince didn't need to know that.

With an annoyed grunt, Noctis hauled himself up and slouched off, though had enough clarity to slam the bedroom door hard behind him. Ignis took no offense to it; he'd ply him with a good breakfast in the morning which never failed to bring him back to a satisfactory mood. Most importantly, with the prince out the way, they could continue their search.

The couch, the TV stand, inside the expensive pottery and behind the picture frames, they searched it all and again everything was clean. The last room left was the kitchen…which was also the most dangerous. The chef side of Ignis saw tools that could create wonders; the Kingsmen side saw a room littered with potential bombs. The microwave had to be disassembled. The oven was pulled out and examined with more care than a forensic investigator. The dishwasher and fridge were also scoured and every tiny appliance, from the toaster to the waffle maker, was frisked. Nothing.

By the time they were finished, it was well past midnight. The suite looked no different than when they'd first stepped inside and yet they'd fondled everything in it. The two sat on the kitchen floor opposite each other in fluffy slippers. Ignis had slouched down against the dishwasher and Nyx slumped with a complementary bottle of champagne against the stove. He was so tired though that he hadn't opened it. Simply holding it seemed to give him comfort.

"I concede, I don't want to travel with _him_ again," Nyx groaned, digging a palm into a tired eye. "I'd kill myself if I had to do this for a living. I don't see how _you_ do it! Then again, you have the patience of Alfred so I shouldn't be shocked."

Ignis was sure that was a backwards compliment but he was too tired to retort. Instead he answered honestly, "I usually have Gladio and Prompto there to help. Prompto's a technophile and can usually run searches without much of anything needing to be moved. And for the heavy stuff that does need to be moved, there's Gladio. This process with the three of us only takes an hour. Then again, the four of us are usually crammed into a single room so there's much less to do. "

Nyx made a face at the idea of four guys all sharing a single room and began the process of pulling himself off the floor. "Well, you're welcome to keep your merry little band. I think I'll stick to guarding the city. I like being the one to take action when crap inevitably hits the fan, not doing the dull work of preventing it from happening." He staggered on his feet a moment once up, thinking that last line over, but his frazzled brain figured it wasn't worth clarifying. Ignis was smart, he knew what he meant. "Night," he bid, and shuffled off to his room.

"Sleep tight," Ignis bade and smiled wickedly when he saw the man flinch. That ended his enthusiasm for the evening though. He too quietly groaned as he got off the floor and after a final check to ensure the front door was secured and the windows were locked, he retired to his quarters. The bed was calling his name and he very nearly shirked showering but oddly, the thought recalled memories of Noctis demanding the group clean themselves before getting back in the Regalia after a hard fight. He reasoned that a shower would help make sleep all the better and headed instead for the bathroom.

He stepped out with a towel around his waist, drying his hair with one hand and carrying the pile of irreparable damaged clothes in the other. He'd taken two steps into the bedroom when he stopped cold and looked up. Sitting on the bed, as pretty as you please, was Aranea. Twirling in her fingers was the extra key card.

"The night's still young, Tristan. Tell me you weren't going to bed already," she teased, slowly uncrossing her legs and standing up. She helped herself to an eyeful of him and then strolled past, heading to the balcony doors. "I need your help with something. Let Galahad watch the kid."

If it was Kingsmen business, it couldn't wait. Ignis was far from form fresh but he'd gone longer times without sleep with the help of his trusty Ebony. He crossed to his suitcase and removed another outfit similar to the one he'd just discarded and purposefully entered back into the bathroom to dress. When he stepped out, everything about his appearance seemed as though he'd intentionally prepared to spend a night out on the town. He felt like himself again.

"Ready?" Aranea asked.

"I've been doing this longer than you, Lancelot. Don't forget that," Ignis tilted his chin.

Satisfied with his resolution, she led him out the door where they faded into the night.

* * *

I do not seriously ship Aranea and Ignis. However, these two are such opposites that I couldn't help myself.


	6. A Peek Never Hurt

I finally got around to seeing _Kingsman: The Golden Circle_ ; and…I initially watched most of it with a grimace, based mainly off of pre-conceptions formed from reviews, but then I found myself getting into it. In fact, on the same day, I rewatched it all over again with my sibling. It was hilarious, sad, and action-packed, much like the first, though with a few hiccups. The best part about it though? Halle Berry and that outfit that I _need_ to see on Ignis, lol. Her character was absolutely adorable. Anyways, a month later and here's a new chapter. I swear I'm going to get better with this updating...

* * *

 **A Peek Never Hurt**

While Ignis and Aranea were off having midnight escapades, Noctis woke up from his early bedtime and found that he was ravished. He hadn't been aware of how exhausted he was from the trip until his head had hit the couch and he'd fallen asleep. Now though, he was anything but tired. There wasn't a phone in his room to call room service so he got up to go to the living room and make the call, hoping there'd be a menu as well to make things quicker. The instant he opened the door however, Nyx was standing there in sweats and a t-shirt, arms folded. "Go ahead and turn right back around. You're not leaving."

Noctis had never appreciated new people telling him what to do. "The hell I can't; step aside, I'm starving." He tried to push past but Nyx actually created a full barrier that rebounded him back several steps. "What? Hey! What's up with you?"

The expression on Nyx's face showed his immense regret but he didn't lower the barrier. "Sorry, prince. Aranea snatched up Ignis so I'm on guard duty. Ignis has told me how trouble always seems to find you and I don't know if you can tell, but I ain't in the mood for more fights at the moment," he said, gesturing to his pajamas. "Just…stay there. If you're hungry, I'll go find something for you."

Noctis shook his head and walked in a frustrated circle. "I can't believe this. I'm practically _grounded_ on a vacation! And Ignis is gay, those two can't really be on a date!"

"Called it!" Nyx forgot himself and shouted. "Libertus owes me twenty gil!"

Noctis acted like he didn't hear that and instead held a hand out. By touching the barrier, he dissolved it and easily strutted past the now floored Kingsglaive. He'd seen that same expression when he'd sparred with his friends and it never got old. "Your powers are on loan from the Crystal, and I have rightful access to it," he shrugged. "Anything you can do, I can do, including negating its abilities. Sorry…" he added as he saw Nyx's shoulders deflate. The man was only trying to do his job and Noctis knew he indeed could be a handful at times without intending to be.

"Tell you what; I was only going to order room service. I don't know if food is included with this trip so if not, I'll cover it for you." As Noctis had never changed out of his singed clothes, he pulled from his pocket a credit card…in his father's name. He was worried Nyx would reproach him for it; Ignis certainly would have. But instead, the Glaive finally cracked a grin.

"Alright, Your Highness, I'll accept your—or rather, your father's—generosity," he nodded and clapped his hands. "Let's see if this place deserves its Michelin stars."

Noctis went into the living room and sure enough, next to the phone, was a glossy menu. The hotel actually had a multitude of restaurants, so Nyx picked a location that specialized in Galadian food and ordered an expensive Behemoth sirloin with all the trimmings. Noctis wanted nothing to do with utensils while he ate and instead selected an Altissian bistro, ordering a medley of battered seafood goodies.

He wondered idly what Leviathan might taste like.

When the knock came at the door, Nyx took the credit card but held up a hand to stay the prince. "I'll handle it." However, once he returned, he only carried a single plate. He looked apologetic, though Noctis had been expecting it. "We ordered from different places…I guess mine got here first. But I'll wait until yours arrives before I eat," Nyx offered.

"Nah, you go ahead. Behemoth becomes extremely tough and chewy if it's not eaten hot. I admittedly wouldn't wait for you if the tables were turned," Noctis grinned. But with his blessing, Nyx dug in while the prince salivated.

It was another twenty minutes before his food arrived. "Took them long enough!" he exclaimed as he headed to the door but Nyx again rushed past him to handle it. The sounds were muffled past the French doors of the apartment but he heard Nyx open the front door and give a friendly apology for the late night request. When the transaction was done, Noctis peeked through the glass doors to see Nyx heading back, and he smiled a little when the Glaive curiously opened the Styrofoam container to see what the food looked like.

Nyx's eyes went wide with alarm. He suddenly lifted his arms as though to throw the plate away but it was too late. It exploded with a force strong enough to blast the Glaive back, obliterating the French doors. As he slammed into the living room, the main door was opened and there stood a group of black robed…ninjas?! One of them was holding what might've been a master keycard.

"A paper bomb was in the food!" Nyx screamed, getting up with a Cure spell and flashing his weapons to his hands. "Robot ninjas! Really, Niflheim?!"

Indeed, as the ninjas approached, it was clear they weren't human. And unlike their clunky predecessors, these ones were smaller and lithe. With no originality though, they launched a barrage of throwing stars and knives and Nyx quickly blocked with another barrier. As they hit it, the weapons exploded, revealing themselves to be made of more than just metal.

At the sound of the initial explosion, Noctis had already surrounded himself with the Armiger. Raising his arm with the palm forward in a grand way he once saw his father use, he launched half the weapons ahead. With an effort, he walked forward, driving the hoard back while equally keeping himself cloaked in a shield. As swords, axes and polearms fell their targets, he cycled them out for each remaining enemy until he finally speared the last one. Sweating, he slammed the front door and locked it, then put another shield in front of it. He picked up the master key card from the floor and burned it, then slid tiredly to the floor.

Nyx let down his own shield and stood, surveying the damage. From the front door to the living room was a trail of debris of robot parts. He looked at the prince before shaking his head in disbelief. "Four-eyes was right about you; we can't let you out of our sight for a minute!"

Noctis opened his mouth to reply but his stomach spoke for him with a long, aggressive growl. He grinned sheepishly. "I guess I worked up an appetite."

There was nothing in the kitchen to be had…except the sliced behemoth sirloin. With infinite regret, Nyx gestured for him to come back inside. "Alright, alright, I'll share mine. Your family paid for it anyways."

A half hour later when Ignis and Aranea finally returned (Noctis had let down the barrier upon sensing Ignis' magic), the two found the prince and Glaive rubbing full bellies and licking grease off their fingers at the dining room table even though both looked like they'd been through a war. Ignis had initially rushed inside when he'd first seen the metal parts all over the floor but stopped shortly upon seeing the two alive and safe. "What in the name of the Six happened?!"

Noctis belched and undid his pants button before answering. "Robot ninjas."

"Be serious, Noct."

Aranea leaned down and picked up a throwing star. "No, he's right. Definitely ninjas." She dropped it with a heavy sigh, looking upon all the damage. "So much for getting back that deposit."

Ignis went to the table and firmly sat down. Snatching a remaining steak fry off the plate, he demanded, "Tell me everything. _Now_."

Instead, Nyx got up shaking his head. "Tomorrow, Iggy, and only after you tell us what you guys were up to. I'm getting me some damn sleep. And no more babysitting tonight; he's a grown man, he can handle himself." With that, he slipped down the hallway to his bedroom.

Noctis was also rising, blinking sleepily. "What he said. _All_ of what he said," he emphasized, though Ignis knew it was mainly directed to that last part. In passing, the prince gave him a (not-so) reassuring pat on the back and went to his own room.

With only Aranea left, he turned his eyes on her as though for askance of an explanation. She disappointed him with a shrug. "This is a new one, something I've not seen from the Empire before. I'll get on it with finding out more but like the other two, not tonight. This girl's had enough high-flying adventures for one evening." She lifted a hand towards him but stopped herself, dropping it back to her side. For only a brief second, her tough mask cracked and he saw something else there. It was gone so quickly, he later resolved he had imagined it. In seconds, she had swept out the door; Noctis must not have been asleep just yet to let her pass through.

Now alone, Ignis once again locked up (and included his own barrier to the door) before going back to bed. Fear of another attack kept him awake for all of fifteen minutes before his body finally gave out and sleep pulled him under.

* * *

This chapter was actually to be the second part in the chapter of what Aranea and Ignis were up to, but my mindset was too humdrum while writing that half, making it more of a chore to keep pressing on. I wrote this half first anyways so I figured I'd go ahead and post it and the next chapter will be about Ignis and Aranea's mission.


End file.
